TALES O' THE WEIRD WEST
Premise:
Some folks think the whole world's gone to hell. But they've got it all backwards. You see, ever since some damn fool opened the door for 'em, hell's been making its way here.
Most of us didn't realize the world was turning sour until July of '63, when the dead rose at Gettysburg. Even then, it was easy for most to dismiss the stories of walking corpses as the ravings of poor addled souls who'd seen too much bloodshed. Any doubts that the door between this world and the next was flung wide open, though, were crushed when the Sioux Nation rose up, using unnatural powers to reclaim the land that had been taken from them. The Civil War broke down into a never-ending mess, neither the North or South able to fight for too long before risking another outbreak of the undead, or worse, corrupting the land itself with a mass of angry spirits.
Things weren't helped by the Great Quake of '68, which split the Earth open an' utterly destroyed the California Territory. In what was left over, a giant treacherous wasteland called the Maze, they found Ghost Rock, a new type of fuel that made coal look like nothin' in comparison. The really smart types, the scientists an' inventors an' whatnot, began comin' up with all sorts of crazy contraptions to do impossible things. 'course, most of these really smart types had a tendency to go out of their damn minds pursuin' their knowledge, an' some folks believe that their "inspiring sparks of genius" were voices from another world. That didn't stop the rush for Ghost Rock, an' now the North, the South, the Sioux, hell, even the Mormons in Deseret will do just about anything to get their hands on some, an' make God knows what with it once they get it.
It's '77 now, an' things haven't gotten any better. The North an' South are still going at it, the Sioux have united most of the tribes out West to push back both of 'em, an' most of the Maze has fallen under the influence of a madman only known as Reverend Grimme, who rules from the ruins of Los Angeles-- now reborn as the City of Lost Angels. Doomsday cults an' worshippers of weird an' evil gods have cropped up like weeds from Saint Louis to Salt Lake City. And the less said about the...things....that have been crawlin' out of the Maze, the better.
If there's any good news, is that none of it's bullet-proof. 'least, that's what they say. They a lot of things these days.
They say that men in black coats ride into town after strange things occur, but no one can remember their faces when they leave.
They say there's things in the open desert that can swallow a steam engine whole.
They say the ghosts of Custer an' his men rampage across the plains at night, cuttin' down any soul unlucky enough to be in their way.
An' they say that if you find yourself sitting alone at a card table at sundown, you might be joined by a man in red who gambles for more than just money.
'course, that's all just 'what they say.' If you wanna last long out in the Deadlands, don't believe anything you hear. An' it's better if you don't believe about half of what you see, either.
Overview:
Setting: Deadwood, South Dakota
Time Frame: Summer of 1877
Themes: Adventure, horror, mystery, conspiracy, weird fantasy (not that kind)
Style Wanted: Advanced, so at least four paragraphs per post. Character images and formatting text are preferred, but not required.
Character Types Wanted: Gunslingers, lawmen, Native braves or shamans, gamblers, swindlers, femmes fatale, preachers, detectives, rustlers, cut throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men....
Tales o' the Weird West is an open-world game set in the universe of the old Deadlands RPG-- a supernatural-horror Western full of gunslingers, black magic, bandits, mad science, cults, conspiracies, and the poor folks who just happen to get caught up in the middle of it all. This is a world where the dead rarely stay quiet, where monsters lurk in every dark corner, and where Evil with a capital "E" gains ground day by day. It's also a world where the brave, the faithful, and the just-plain crazy can take up a six-shooter and face down their demons in a very literal sense. It's grim and gritty, and at the same time it's completely out-there and ridiculous, so players can approach it in any way they wish.
The exact details of the official lore aren't massively important for characters and stories, so long as it fits within the "Weird West" setting. Steampunk, gothic horror, Spaghetti Westerns, even Lovecraft are all fair game here. If you want to live out your dreams of The Man With No Name and the Rocketeer getting hired by Al Swearingen to stop Count Dracula from summoning Cthulhu, then you've come to the right place.
Rules and Expectations:
*Players may play an original character, a historical figure, or a character from popular culture who would have existed at the time (roughly 1877). If you choose to play a historical character, you can alter their biography as far back as 1863 (the point at which the lore deviates from real-world history). Fictional characters can also be altered to fit into the setting as well, so long as their adventures were set in roughly the correct period to begin with-- a character like Zorro, for instance, would be allowed, but a Wild West version of Batman or Goku or whatever would not.
*No prior knowledge of the Deadlands game mechanics is required, nor do you need to know the ins and outs of the lore beyond what I’ve included in the section below.
*Supernatural powers do exist in this world, and your character can have said powers. However, no character is indestructible or immortal-- even the nastiest monsters can be dropped by a well-placed bullet (though sometimes that bullet needs to be silver or the like). If you do choose to make a magic, monstrous, or otherwise unnatural character, their powers should have clearly defined limitations, and should preferably line up with the types of magic discussed in the "Supernatural" section of the lore dump.
*Characters can have wildly different motivations, which can come into direct conflict with each other. In these instances, PvP is allowed, though killing another player's character or supporting NPCs without their consent is strictly off-limits.
*Players are expected to post at least once every 14 days, and their posts should contain at least four complete paragraphs. Adding fancy stuff like pictures or colored and formatted text are nice, but not required.
*All standard Guild rules apply. Respect the GM, respect the other players, and we'll all get along just fine. When in doubt, consult Lady A’s Guide to Etiquette.
CONTENT ADVISORY:
*While this isn't an 18+ game, I do plan on having content that would constitute an R-rating. Violence, coarse language, and adult themes are permitted, though I would ask to leave the more explicit details to the imagination.
*The game is set in a fantasy version of the American West, but still has some degree of history to it, so many of the people in this world have views that would be considered unacceptable by modern standards. I don't plan on delving into the issues of racism and sexism in late 19th-century America, but I don't consider them taboo either, and players should be advised that they may come up.
Setting and Lore:
Deadwood
The Weird West
Ghost Rock and Mad Science:
The Supernatural
Monsters:
Character Sheet Template:
Name:
Aliases (if any):
Allegiance (if any):
Occupation:
Physical Attributes:
Sex/Gender:
Race/Ethnicity:
Age:
Build:
Distinguishing Features:
Mental Attributes:
Positive Trait*Negative Trait (choose at least three of each)
Education (if any):
Likes:
Dislikes:
Notes:
Important Life Moments:
Special/Supernatural Abilities (if any):
Supporting Characters (if any):
Signature Weapons/Items:
